Template Anything in Your Infrastructure

Any component — or component tree — can become a template:

Single Device Templates: Template a specific device configuration (model, attributes, port layout, texture pack) for rapid replication
Rack Templates: Template an entire rack including every device inside it, their positions, configurations, and relationships. Instantiate a fully populated rack with a single operation.
Room & Area Templates: Template an entire room layout including rack positions, device contents, and spatial configuration — ideal for standardised data hall designs
Full Tree Capture: When you create a template from a component, the system captures the entire subtree beneath it — all children, their children, and so on, preserving the complete hierarchy
Attribute Preservation: Templates capture all component attributes, custom data fields, positioning data, mounting configurations, and texture assignments

Version Control for Your Infrastructure Designs

Templates support full version tracking:

Automatic Versioning: Every change to a template creates a new version, with a complete history of what changed and when
Instance Tracking: The system tracks which version each instance is running, making it easy to identify instances that are behind the latest version
Usage Counting: See at a glance how many active instances exist for each template, helping you understand the impact of any template change
Version Comparison: Compare versions to understand what changed between iterations

When a template is updated, you have precise control over how changes propagate:

Update All: Push the latest template version to every linked instance simultaneously. All instances update to match the new design — new devices are added, removed devices are deleted, configurations are synchronised.
Selective Update: Choose specific instances to update while leaving others on their current version
Detach: Individual instances can be permanently detached from the template. They keep their current configuration but are no longer linked — future template updates won't affect them. This is ideal for instances that have been customised for site-specific requirements.
Re-Attach: Detached instances can be re-linked to the template if needed, accepting the current template version

Creating new instances from a template is guided by an intelligent wizard:

Step-by-Step Flow: The wizard walks through each component in the template tree, presenting relevant fields for customisation at each step
Per-Component Parameters: At each step, you can customise the instance-specific values — component name, serial number, asset tag, position offset — while structural fields are inherited from the template
Dynamic Conditional Fields: The wizard adapts its interface based on component type:
Location templates show dimension fields (width, depth, height) and coordinate fields
Device templates show placement type options (bay, slot, physical) and mounting position fields
All templates show common fields (name, description, custom attributes)
Target Selection: Choose where the new instance should be created — select the parent location in the hierarchy
Preview: Review the complete instantiation plan before committing — see every component that will be created, its position, and its configuration

Large template instantiations are handled efficiently:

Background Task Processing: Complex instantiations (entire rooms, multi-rack deployments) run as background tasks so you're not blocked waiting for completion
Real-Time Progress: A progress indicator shows you exactly where the instantiation is — which components have been created, which are pending
Error Handling: If individual components fail validation during instantiation, the system reports the failures without blocking the rest of the deployment
Batch Instantiation: Create multiple instances from the same template in a single operation — e.g., instantiate 20 identical racks in a new row